Momo flew to the Crystal Catacombs and quickly found Aang, Iroh, Katara, and Zuko.
"Momo? What's wrong?" Aang asked.
Momo started pulling Aang and the other three benders followed them.
Down in the palace dungeon, Mai and Ty Lee were kept in a cell with a still unconscious Azula. The princess had no cuts on her, but had a burn on her shoulder where Zirrinni's lightning hit and many bruises, courtesy of those deceptive Dai Li agents.
It had been a couple of hours since they'd been beaten and Long Feng declared himself interim Earth King.
"How could she do this?" Ty Lee asked.
"I don't know, but when I get my hands on her..." Mai started, sounding mad.
"It's not Zirrinni's fault. The Dai Li brainwashed her, just like they did to our friend Jet." Sokka said.
The two girls looked at the cell door.
"...Brainwashed?" Mai repeated, sounding skeptical.
"...Actually, it does make sense. Think about it, Mai. Rinni didn't attack us until after those code phrases were said." Ty Lee said.
Mai did consider this. She'd always called Zirrinni a friend, even though she never said it. When Zirrinni was interested in perfecting her precision, Mai was the first person the hybrid bender went to and they bonded over Mai training her, like Zirrinni and Ty Lee had during the former's chi blocking lessons.
Mai suddenly found her anger directed to Long Feng and the Dai Li instead of Zirrinni. "...But why...?"
"You're right." Mai said then sighed. "But it doesn't change the fact that we're all stuck in these cells."
"Don't give up." Shao said. "Momo slipped away. With any luck, he's found Aang, Iroh, Katara, and Zuko."
"He's right. When they get here, we're all getting out then taking back Ba Sing Se." Sokka said.
Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Iroh snuck into the palace but hid before being spotted.
"...in the dungeons, sir. We have Ba Sing Se, but Fire Lord Ozai refuses to leave the city alone." An agent said.
Long Feng growled. "Will he take either of his children back in exchange for not conquering the city?"
"He must not because he said he plans to personally oversee the Fire Nation conquering this city, by any means necessary."
"Interesting. Let's go see if the princess is awake."
Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Iroh followed the two men to the door that led to the dungeons then hid.
Thanks to her seismic sense, Toph knew Aang and Katara were close and smirked.
Long Feng and the Dai Li agent stood in front of the cell with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee in it. Long Feng saw Azula was still unconscious and sighed. Toph took action and used her new metalbending on the door, which hit Long Feng and the agent then she freed the generals, as well as Mai, Ty Lee and Azula.
"Toph?" Sokka started, confused as to why she freed the trio they'd just fought.
"Katara can help Azula." The blind girl said.
"Toph's right. Mai, Ty Lee, put Azula on my back. I'll carry her out." Shao said.
The acrobat and knife thrower did as requested. Azula shifted a little, like she was about to wake up.
"What's going on...?" She groggily asked as they ran.
"We'll explain later, Azula." Ty Lee said as the group escaped the dungeons and met up with Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Iroh.
"Right now, we need to think of how to get Zirrinni's brainwashing cleaned out." Mai said.
"Zirrinni's been brainwashed?" Katara asked, worried about her friend.
"The Dai Li did it to her." Sokka said.
"...I think I might have a way to get through to her. A memory of when she and I discovered her Waterbending."
"If you think it'll set her free, then do it when we see her." Aang said as Team Avatar, Azula's team, Zuko, Iroh, the Earth King and his generals were headed to the palace entrance, only for a wall of fire to cut them off. They all turned and saw Zirrinni and the Dai Li.
"You've been more of a headache than I thought possible, Avatar, and it's time you left my city!" Long Feng said.
"Zirrinni, you're a Waterbender! That's amazing! What all can you do with it?!" Katara asked.
Those words caused something to click inside Zirrinni and she remembered herself as a young girl with a young Katara.
Two girls were a little ways away from the village of the Southern Water Tribe, by the water.
"Zirrinni, what are we doing here?" Katara asked, sounding a bit confused.
"You've got to see this to believe it!" Zirrinni said excitedly then started moving back and forth with her arms outstretched and the water began doing the same thing.
Katara gasped. "Zirrinni, you're a Waterbender! That's amazing! What all can you do with it?!" She asked.
Zirrinni blinked several times as she returned to normal. She looked at her friends, her childhood friend as well. "...Katara?"
"Quiet, Zirrinni!" Long Feng ordered. She looked at Long Feng and soon shot lightning at him.
A Dai Li agent blocked her attack as Zirrinni ran to Katara and the others.
"Idiot girl! Who do you think you are?!"
"I am Zirrinni, daughter of Fire Nation Lieutenant Tanzo, and Kami of the Northern Water Tribe! Nobody messes with my head and walks away unscathed!" The young girl said. If there was one thing Zirrinni hated more than someone disrespecting her family, it was people who tried to control her.
She felt the full moon's power and her rage grew as she screamed and held her hands out to Long Feng. He groaned as he tried to move, but found he couldn't.
Aang and his friends, as well as Azula and her friends, Zuko and his uncle, the Earth King and his Generals, all watched with fear and worry as Zirrinni lifted Long Feng off the ground.
"Let's see how you like doing something against your will!" Zirrinni yelled at his as she forced him to use his Earthbending against his own Dai Li agents.
Mai gently put a hand on her friend's shoulder and Zirrinni looked at her.
"Stop...please..." The weapons mistress said.
Zirrinni saw the fear in Mai's eyes and released her hold on Long Feng and fell to her knees. "Mai...I'm so sorry..."
"You're okay now. That's what's important." Mai said then the two shared a hug.
Shao set a now fully Azula down on her feet gently.
"Good, you're awake, Princess. I'm sorry to say that your father won't even accept us trading you or your brother or even both of you in exchange for leaving Ba Sing Se alone." Long Feng said.
"Ha! I needed a laugh. Thanks for the lie, Long Feng." Azula said.
"Actually...he's not lying." Aang said. "Katara, Zuko, Iroh, and I heard him talking with a Dai Li agent."
"I'd sent a message to Fire Lord Ozai that demanded he leave my city out of his war and even offered to trade you in exchange for those ends to be achieved, but he refused." Long Feng said then pulled out a scroll. Aang used his Airbending and the scroll floated to them and into Azula's hand.
Zuko walked over to her. "...That's definitely Father's handwriting..."
With trembling hands, Azula unrolled the scroll and silently read it.
"Long Feng, if you truly have captured Azula, I am surprised. Nevertheless, nothing will stop me from taking Ba Sing Se. I will arrive in a week's time to conquer the Earth Kingdom. Do with my daughter whatever you see fit.
-Fire Lord Ozai"
Something inside Azula was about to snap. Taking advantage, Long Feng used his Earthbending and launched a boulder at her.
"Look out, Azula!" Ty Lee said and Azula looked to see the boulder headed for her then gasped. Katara acted quickly and used her Waterbending to create a ramp.
The boulder missed Azula and Shao used his Earthbending to send the boulder at the Dai Li, sparking a battle.
Zirrinni and Shao double teamed several agents, the former using her Waterbending for defense and her Firebending for offense while latter did the same with his Airbending and Earthbending respectively.
Aang fought alongside Toph, Zuko, and Iroh while the generals focused on protecting their king.
"You two are good." Sokka said to Mai and Ty Lee. The three nonbenders were fighting side by side and holding their own.
That left Azula and Katara to fight beside each other. Due to the rage within her struggling to get out, Azula was so caught up in the fight, she didn't notice that a boulder was coming towards her. Katara gasped when she noticed and tackled Azula. Their eyes met and suddenly, Azula's rage seemed to dissipate, replaced by her blushing. Katara was blushing as well as she looked into Azula's gold eyes while Azula looked in Katara's blue eyes.
The princess soon cleared her throat. "...Thank you for that."
"...No problem." Katara said as they stood up.
Long Feng and the Dai Li were soon defeated and imprisoned. After that, Katara walked to Azula, who was getting her burn and bruises healed by Zirrinni.
"Yes?" Azula said when she saw Katara then Zirrinni looked at her.
"I can clear the Dai Li's brainwashing out of your head, Zirrinni." Katara said.
Zirrinni thought about it then looked at her childhood friend. "Let me finish healing Azula, then we both can."
"...Huh?"
"Firebending has healing capabilities, too. My dad taught me and I taught Azula."
"And I taught your father." Iroh said and all three girls looked at the old man.
"He told me such." Zirrinni said as she finished healing Azula then stood up bowed to Iroh, who bowed back.
Zirrinni soon sat in Azula's place and Katara sat behind her. She felt Katara's water gloves on both sides of her head then closed her eyes and focused her firebending healing inward to help get the brainwashing out. The energy of the two benders united to cleanse Zirrinni's mind of the Dai Li's programming.
When the healing session finished, Zirrinni opened her eyes and felt Katara's hands pull back.
"Zirrinni, I felt your firebending energy working with my waterbending energy." Katara said.
"I felt it too. I don't even know how to describe that feeling." Zirrinni said then turned to Azula. "...How are you holding up?"
"My father has basically disowned me..." Azula muttered.
"You know as much as I do, my niece, that my brother never wasted time on compassion." Iroh said.
"He'll get none from me in a week's time!" Azula said.
"...Azula, where are Suki, Sirri, and the Kyoshi Warriors?" Katara asked.
"En route to the Western Earth Kingdom, where they'll be put on a ship to be delivered to the Fire Nation's prison tower."
"Can we intercept the caravan fast enough?" Zirrinni asked.
"With the help of your dragon, the Avatar's bison, and the other hybrid bender's badgermole, it should be no problem. They'd only be a couple days away by now."
"Let's tell Aang and the others." Katara said then the three girls and Iroh ran to find Aang, Sokka, Shao, Toph, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee. When they found them at the top of the stairs leading to the palace entrance, they walked to them.
"To face the Fire Lord's forces in a week, we'll need reinforcements." Azula said.
"So in the morning, we're intercepting a caravan...and freeing the Kyoshi Warriors." Katara said.
Of all the teenagers, Mai and Ty Lee looked the most tense.
"Appa can't carry that many people." Aang said.
"We can divide it up. Echo can carry up to five people. Suki and Sirri May be able to ride on your bison." Zirrinni told him then looked at Shao. "The rest can ride with you on your badgermole."
"Then we head out first thing in the morning." Sokka said then looked at the sky. "Hang in there, Suki. I'm coming to save you."
That's chapter two. Review, follow, and favorite then I'll post more chapters